


Baby Bird

by HerbertBest



Category: Game Grumps
Genre: Coming Out, Father-Daughter Relationship, Gen, Growing Up, Kid Fic, Non-Traditional Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-08
Updated: 2016-11-08
Packaged: 2018-08-29 20:51:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 863
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8504935
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HerbertBest/pseuds/HerbertBest
Summary: Scenes from Rhea's childhood explore her relationship with her father.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [TheseusInTheMaze](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheseusInTheMaze/gifts).



> This is part of my shared a/b/o grumpverse with [theseusinthemaze](http://archiveofourown.org/users/TheseusInTheMaze/pseuds/TheseusInTheMaze). The majority of the continuity is [here](http://archiveofourown.org/works/7724251/chapters/17604880), with my contributions being [this](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6371221/chapters/17710312), [this](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6371221/chapters/17921479), [this](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6371221/chapters/17921632), [this](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6371221/chapters/18031048), [this,](http://archiveofourown.org/works/7894192), [this](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6371221/chapters/17921305%22%22), [this](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6371221/chapters/18211246) [this](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6371221/chapters/18211504) [this](http://archiveofourown.org/works/8019979) [this](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6371221/chapters/18361207) [this](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6371221/chapters/18483334) [this](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6371221/chapters/18483385) [this](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6371221/chapters/18483550) [this](http://archiveofourown.org/works/8141047) [this](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6371221/chapters/18659836) [this](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6371221/chapters/18659920) [this](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6371221/chapters/18659929) [this](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6371221/chapters/18660007) [this](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6371221/chapters/18999074) [this](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6371221/chapters/19203985) and [this](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6371221/chapters/19316128). Written for Theseus' Birthday.

The baby was squeaking in Dan’s arms, flailing eagerly toward the window. “What?” he asked her nonsensically, carrying her closer, resting his chin on her head. She squeak-pattered again, hands waving toward a tiny bird in a tree. “I see it, baby bird,” he said softly. It was a grackle, grey-winged, and Dan pressed his palm against the jam and boosted Rhea up so she could see better. 

They stood together for a long time watching the bird, father and daughter, alone in a full but surprisingly silent house, watching the birds dart while Rhea spoke nonsense syllables and tried to fly away with the other winged creatures.

 

*** 

 

The girls were running in circles shrieking in the vast inky blackness of Arin’s parent’s yard. Sparklers gleamed in their hands, and Zip had painted blue and red streaks in her long, light hair. 

Dan didn’t know who had painted a peace sign and an American flag on Rhea’s face, but they were cheerfully crooked, matching her jeans and her red shirt.

“Stay where I can see you!” Arin hollered, and visions of little girls falling into crocodiles’ mouths danced through Dan’s head. When Zip rounded the corner and barreled right at him he caught her single-armed and laughed at her squeaking. He handed Zip to Arin then searched for Rhea.

He found her ten minutes later lying on her back watching the moon rise.

“C’mon baby bird,” he said, sitting down beside her. “Let’s do something quiet.”

“Boring?”

“No, quiet.” Dan pointed to a very small insect flapping through the breeze, its body lighting up and going dark intermittently. “Watch me,” he instructed, and quite carefully caught one in mid-flight, then unveiled it to Rhea’s shocked gaze.

Rhea’s eyes were bright with curiosity. “How’d you do that, abba?” she wondered. 

“It’s easy! Just be super careful…” he cupped her small hands in his large ones and held them up, catching sparks of light in their shared grip.

 

*** 

 

“Will you let me in?”

A dramatic sniffle sounded from behind the door and Dan sighed. “Please, Rhea?” 

A long pause, and then the doorknob turned. There stood his daughter in a cloud of hair, wiping her dark eyes and frowning at him. “What?” she asked.

“Can I come in?”

She sighed and made way for him. Dan had to kick his way through discarded clothing and a pile of old magazines to get to the bed, then sat down. Rhea sat reluctantly beside him.

“So,” he said quietly, “you like girls.”

Immediately she turned on him, snarling. “That’s none of your fucking business…”

He crumbled under her anger. “Don’t swear at me.”

Rhea curled her long legs up, tucking he knees against her chin. “You think I’m a freak.”

“Baby!” he flung his arms around her board-stiff form, trying to cuddle her. “Some of my best friends adore women. I’m totally cool with you being gay.”

“Whatever,” she grumbled into her knees. She did soften up a little, going less tense around the back and shoulders.

“I had a feeling it was girls anyway,” he said. “You’ve been hanging around that Sabrina chick for weeks.”

“Ugh,” she blushed.

“At least you’re not like, obsessed with blondes like I was. That burned me bad. Uh…” Dan began. “I know I’m not one to talk and I really shouldn’t be giving out girl advice, but if you need like…condom tips…”

“Oh GOD, abba!” 

“What?” Dan squirmed. “I want you to be safe. And I’ve got experience, might as well use it.”

She pouted. “Uh….out of curiosity, how do you put one on?”

Dan smiled at the question. “I’ll go get a banana,” he said, and she flopped onto her back with a groan.

 

*** 

 

The last box was stored in the very brightly lit, very formal-looking room in which Rhea would be living for the next six months. Dan rubbed his lower back as he sat down next to her on the bed. 

“That should be it.”

“Thanks, abba,” she said. Her roommate hadn’t showed yet, and she was planning on sleeping the afternoon away until they popped in.

“Skype me every Sunday, please,” Dan requested. “And if you need me, text; I’ll get on a plane in two seconds.”

“I’m gonna be fine. Promise,” she said.

Still, he was reluctant to get up. A quick peck to her forehead and he finally started to move away and toward the door. “Oh!” he quickly dug into his jeans pocket and pulled out a small silver box. “Don’t open it ‘til I’m gone. I’ll cry super hard if you do in front of me.”

“Uh…Okay?” She cradled the box in her hand as Dan waved goodbye. Her phone beeped with fresh texts, but she ignored them – would answer them after she napped.

Carefully, she opened the ring box. Inside was a note. _I know you don’t wear jewelry a lot, but this reminded me of you. Love, abba._

Underneath it was a tiny gold charm of a skunk.

And she would wear it for the rest of her days on a thin chain around her neck. 

Sometimes love really was stronger than anything else in the world.


End file.
